چكيده لاتين
The Najaf–Karbala corridor is regarded as one of the most prominent religious tourism routes in the Islamic world, annually accommodating millions of domestic and international pilgrims, particularly during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the current situation of tourism services along this route, with a specific focus on accommodation and catering services, in order to contribute to the development of regional tourism.From a methodological perspective, this research is categorized as developmental–applied in its purpose, and descriptive, analytical, documentary, survey-based, and correlational in nature. Data collection relied on multiple techniques, including documentary and archival studies, note-taking, as well as fieldwork methods such as observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The statistical population consisted of experts, officials, and pilgrims. The sample size for pilgrims was determined through Cochran’s formula at 385 participants, while the snowball sampling method was employed for selecting experts and officials. Data analysis was carried out using both descriptive and inferential statistics, quantitative and qualitative approaches (SWOT and Chi-Square), and specialized software (GIS and SPSS). The synthesis of results regarding accommodation facilities, catering services, parking areas, and entry–exit checkpoints along the Najaf–Karbala corridor indicated an overall evaluation mean of 3. Based on the Likert scale, this reflects a relatively favorable status and a moderate level of satisfaction among pilgrims. Spatial analysis further revealed a highly uneven distribution of services, with most facilities concentrated near the beginning of the route (close to Najaf) and toward its end (close to Karbala), whereas the middle sections—particularly between markers 400 and 700—suffer from significant service shortages. Chi-Square testing confirmed a statistically significant difference in pilgrims’ satisfaction levels regarding service quality with responses leaning more toward “average” and “low” evaluations. The SWOT strategic analysis demonstrated that strengths, with a score of 4, were assessed at a high and positive level, while weaknesses, with a score of 2.3, were found to be relatively minor and non-critical. Opportunities, scoring 4.13, highlighted the existence of considerable environmental, political, cultural, and economic capacities for the expansion of tourism along this route. Conversely, threats with a score of 2.4 were evaluated at a low to moderate level, indicating that while challenges exist, the external environment cannot be considered critically risky. The findings pointed to a range of strengths—including the availability of diverse guesthouses, temporary accommodations, pilgrim hostels, adequate water supply, reasonable pricing of accommodation and catering units, and respectful interaction with visitors. On the other hand, weaknesses included the lack of aesthetic enhancement and spatial attractiveness, poor infrastructure and utility services, inappropriate land-use planning and design, and insufficient organization of parking facilities. Threats comprised reduced attractiveness for diverse groups of tourists, shorter lengths of stay, spatial limitations and overcrowding, decreased interest in revisiting the destination, and safety and security concerns—all of which pose barriers to the sustainable development of regional tourism. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that the development of tourism along the Najaf–Karbala corridor necessitates targeted planning, strengthening of infrastructure throughout the entire route (especially within the mid-sections), improvement in service quality, and the strategic utilization of local and religious capacities. Such measures are essential to enhance visitor satisfaction and achieve balanced and sustainable regional tourism development.
